Merry-go-round



(No Model. 2 Sheets-Sheet, 1. i

E; S. BENTLEY.

MERBY-GO-ROUND.

No. 443,492. x Patented Dec. 30, 1890.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. S. BENTLEY. MERRY-GO-ROUND.

Patented Pee. 30, 1890.

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EDIVIN S. BENTLEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MERRY-GO-ROUND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,492, dated December 30, 1890.

Application filed February 17, 1890. Serial No. 340,824. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN S. BENTLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Merry-Go-Rounds, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to carrousels 01' merrygo-rounds, and more particularly to that class of carrousels in which boats floating in a tank or pond are substituted for the customary horses and other animals of wood. In this class of devices it has been common to suspend or sustain the animals, so as to impart to them a vertical motion, in addition to their horizontal movement, in order to imitate the natural movements of horses and other beasts of burden; but in the particular class of carrousels to which my invention belongs it has not heretofore been practicable to give to the boats a proper sea motion, such as will render the amusement realistic and attractive.

To this end my invention consists in'means for producing wave motion or sea motion in artificial channels, and in general in various improvements in the construction and arrangement of carrousels, which will be more particularly described in the following specification.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like reference signs indicate like parts throughout, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved carrousel. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line w 00 ofv Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 y of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a detail.

The channel 0, I prefer to make angular or polygonal in its course, as I am enabled thereby to impart a rocking motion to the boat as it swings around the angles. Moreover, by having the course made up of straight lines and angles the sport is less monotonous and less liable to nauseate the occupants of the boats than when the course is circular. In the drawing the course is diamond-shaped, two of the angles being obtuse and two acute. This form gives a greater variety of motion thana regular polygon, and I prefer to useit for this reason. In cross-section the channel may of any width desired, and should be considerably deeper than the draft of the boats, for a purpose to be presently explained; but it need not be deep enough to endanger the lives of pers ns who might he accidentally thrown in the water. It may be of any length desired.

I construct the bottom of the channel, either throughout its whole length or at suitable points, with transverse elevations and depressions, preferably of regular size and forming a series of undulations or corrugations. As shown, these elevations and depressions are effected by use of a corrugated sheet of metal 1, although they may be formed of wood, stone, or other material.

The boats are propelled by connecting them to a continuous chain, band, or cable, which is arranged to follow the course of the channel by means of a series of sheaves or pulleys arranged at the angles of the channel. The pulleys are preferably elevated, as shown, al though they may in some instances be located Within the tank below the surface of the water. The cable 2 is represented as passing over pulleys 3, 4, 5, and 6, arranged at the angles of the course.

To keep the cable from becoming slack and slipping out of the grooves of the pulleys, I make one or more of the pulleys adjustable by means of a suitable belt-tightening device; For instance, the adjustable pulleys may be mounted upon the ends of arms 7, the opposite ends of said arms being screw-threaded and united to fixed supports 9 by adjustingscrews 8. The remaining pulleys are mounted upon any suitable fixed supports.

The boats are connected to each other by ropes 10, so as to keep them in line and prevent them from colliding, and the bowof each boat is connected to the cable by a rope 11. I prefer to attach the ropes 11 to yokes 12, which hang upon the cable and are free to slide thereon a limited distance between fixed collars 13, so that there might be less jar or shock to the boats in stopping and starting. To further prevent shocks to the boats, I preferably interpose springs between the yokes and the collars, as shown.

The cable may be driven by any suitable driving means. A horse might be attached to the cable and allowed to travel either upon the inside or outside of the channel. I prefer, however, the driving mechanism D, (shown in the drawings) which consists of a power-shaft 14, driven from any suitable source of power,

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\Vithout limiting myself to the precise construction shown, I claim- 1. In a merry-go-round, a water-channel having a series of undulations upon its bottom, substantially as and for the purpose (10- I scribed.

2. In a merry-go-round, a water-channel having an undulating or corrugated plate upon its bottom, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a merry-go-round, a water-channel having a diamondshaped course and undulations upon its bottom, substantially as described.

at. In a merry-go-round, a channel having a diamond-shaped course and undulations upon the'bottom thereof, in combination with a series of pulleys arranged above said course at its angles, a continuous cable passing around said pulleys, the boats, and means for attaching the boats to the cable, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a inerr -go-ronnd, of the continuous angular channel, the continuous cable above said channel, the boats, yielding connections between the boats and cable, the pulleys at the angles of the course, and means for adjusting one of the pulleys to tighten the cable, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. EDWIN S. BEN"LEY.

Witnesses:

WM. D. 1.. Anus, J r., THEODORE D. BENTLEY. 

